Hamlyn v Stanton (No. 3) [2020] NSWDC 632

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Hamlyn v Stanton (No. 3) [2020] NSWDC 632 Hearing dates: 12-16 October 2020 Date of orders: 23 October 2020 Decision date: 23 October 2020 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Abadee DCJ Decision: See paragraphs 258-261 Catchwords: TORTS – negligence – medical negligence – urologist performed surgery on patient with prostate cancer – urologist explained advantages and disadvantages of surgery and also alternative treatment of radiotherapy – urologist did not inform patient of possibility of receiving assessment by a radiation oncologist – whether omission to so inform was negligent – whether omission to refer patient to radiation oncologist for assessment was negligent – standard of care for professionals under s 5O of Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) – whether statutory standard applicable to each allegation of negligence – identification of 'risk of harm' – whether urologist took reasonable precautions – significance of opinions of expert urologists and expert radiation oncologists – causation – whether factual causation made out Legislation Cited: Australian Consumer Law, s 60 Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), ss 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E, 5O, 5P, 15, 17A Cases Cited: Avopiling Pty Ltd v Bosevski [2018] NSWCA 146 Badenach v Calvert [2016] HCA 18 Bolam v Friern Hospital Management Committee [1957] 1 WLR 582 Chappel v Hart (1998) 195 CLR 232 Adeels Palace Pty Ltd v Moubarak (2009) 239 CLR 420 F v R (1983) 33 SASR 189 Malec v JC Hutton Pty Ltd (1990) 169 CLR 638 Mercer v Commissioner for Road Transport and Tramways (NSW) (1936) 56 CLR 580 Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board [2015] UKSC 11 Neal v Ambulance Service of New South Wales [2008] NSWCA 346 Queensland v Masson [2020] HCA 28 Rogers v Whitaker (1992) 175 CLR 479 Rosenberg v Percival (2001) 205 CLR 434 South Western Sydney Local Health District v Gould (2018) 97 NSWLR 513 Tabet v Gett (2010) 240 CLR 537 Vairy v Wyong Shire Council (2005) 223 CLR 422 Vella v Permanent Mortgages Pty Ltd [2008] NSWSC 505 Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315 Watts v Rake (1960) 108 CLR 158 Texts Cited: Ipp Committee, Review of the Law of Negligence Final Report (September 2002) Walmsley, Abadee, Zipser & Sirtes, Professional Liability in Australia (3rd ed, Lawbook Co, 2016) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Mr R Hamlyn (Plaintiff) Mr R Stanton (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr D Elliott for the plaintiff Ms J Sandford for the defendant